Online Worship for April 19, 2020

Welcome to Church of the Holy Cross’s live streaming worship service for April 19th, 2020. Feel free to follow the service text by scrolling down, or you may download and print the service in PDF format from this link.

WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD

Welcome                                                                                 Rev. Eric Anderson

Prelude: Bach invention No.10                                                Kanako Okita

Call to Worship based on Psalm 16
Bless the LORD who gives you direction. Bless the God who whispers to your heart at night. Keep the LORD in front of you at all times. As God is with you, you will not be moved. Let your heart be glad and your soul rejoice. Let your body be refreshed in the knowledge of God. God has shown us the path of life to fullness of joy and refreshment of the spirit. Come, let us worship.

Opening Prayer

All: Jesus said, “Peace be with you,” when he greeted his disciples in that locked room, O God. To the places of fear and uncertainty he brought peace. Bring peace to us in this time of worship, to all the rooms and houses where we gather separately to assemble as this community of praise. Bring peace to us, O God, for we seek that deep peace and assurance that only you, the crucified and risen One, can bring. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scripture: John 20:19-31
 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Story and Meditation                                                              Aching for a Touch

Prayer                                                                                     Rev. Eric Anderson

Offering Call and Dedication
We are not sending ushers through the neighborhoods of Hilo to collect your gifts this morning, or any morning. We invite you to send your offering to support the spiritual, emotional, and physical ministries of this church in this time. Please mail your gifts to us at Church of the Holy Cross, 440 West Lanikaula Street, Hilo, Hawai’i 96720.

And we pray: We offer our gifts to you, O God, and with your blessing, to your children. We will use some of these gifts to worship you, O God. We will use some of these gifts to help those in need. Bless both uses, and all uses of these gifts, we pray, for we seek to honor you in everything and through every gift. Amen.

Music: Because He Lives–William J. Gaither & Gloria Gaither       
Eric Anderson and Doug Albertson

Benediction                                                                             Rev. Eric Anderson